Mommy, Where Do Emotions Come From?
by Blue Raspberry Ametrine
Summary: After a drunk driver kills Riley, she discovers how emotions are made, and the backstory of her five, who all lived lives of their own once.
1. Local Legend

**Hi everyone! So, I've been thinking about this for a while, and I was wondering, did the emotions have any emotions of their own? Well, I know they have** _ **emotions,**_ **but, do they have emotions like the humans? And, where** _ **do**_ **they come from? So I figured, what if the emotions were people first?**

 **By the way, my story, In the Thin Atmosphere is** _ **not**_ **discontinued, but it's probably in the back of my priorities right now. But then again, why did I expect anyone to read a crossover between a book from the 19th centuries and a fandom flooded with crossovers? So, by now, I'm probably just writing it for me, and to raise my average Word-Per-Story count, honestly.**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading this. It's probably going to take a while to finish, so, thanks in advance if you stick through with me.**

 **And, like always, I unfortunately don't own Inside Out, Pixar, or anything mentioned. If I did, I promise Pixar would have more than two female protagonists for, like, twenty dudes.r**

The cheers her friends gave her, and the car ride home, was an excited blur for Riley, after hitting the winning shot in the state championship hockey game.

After a long trip home, and even Sadness perking up a bit, her family went to Pizza Hut and finally, to bed.

Once Riley was tucked in, she went to sleep almost instantly, but not before looking over her room with pride.

She had spent the past few months decorating her room. At first it felt lonely and grey, and the low ceiling made her feel cramped. But after a bunch of painting, decorating, and organizing, she finally had a place that felt like home.

And feeling-wise, ever since she moved, she felt like a whole different person. Back in Minnesota, she almost always felt happy. And when she did get down, it was really easy to cheer her up.

But now, it wasn't so. Being sad, or disgusted, or afraid, or angry, or any combination, it lasted a while, and wasn't so easy to shake off. Her thoughts and feelings were more complex. She couldn't understand why. She thought maybe it was puberty. That maybe this was a part of growing up. But she had no idea of the adventures going on in her head.

As her eyes closed, the emotions cheered. "Another great day!" Anger said in his raspy voice.

Sadness smiled. "We did really good this time." But her smile quickly dropped. "Oh, I bet they'll expect that much from us from now on."

Fear stifled a bit. "What if we screw up next time!"

Joy sighed, and ran up to them. "Come on guys. We did great. Let's just get a good night sleep."

"Uh-huh." Disgust nodded. "We'll go to bed, but you have dream duty."

Unlike the rest of the emotions, Joy loved dream duty. Why wouldn't she? Dream Productions always made such wonderful dreams. Although they did, sometimes get weird, like the time Disgust told her she had a dream where she was a vampire fighting a werewolf clown. She wished she could have been there. But she did need her sleep, too.

She settled in in her favorite chair, the yellow wheeled one that was fun to push around, grabbed some popcorn, and waited for the static to clear.

Eventually, it made way to Riley playing hockey in the clouds. "Ohh! This is a good one!"

At that, Riley turned around to see Grandma, and skated out to her. Joy just then remembered. In a week, they were going to visit her in Nevada!

The car should have gotten there by now. The rain had made the road slick, and Dad was driving the car slower than usual.

Riley felt cramped, shoved against the suitcases in the car. She tried to push the thought away, and play some games on the cell phone she had finally convinced her parents to get her, but her focus would still resurface every few minutes.

She didn't like being crammed somewhere. Her legs were dying to run. Fear tried to get her out of the car, so she could get some fresh air and not die of any fumes, but that just made her feel even more claustrophobic than before.

She was dying for excitement, something to do. At this pace, they still had hours to go, and Dad didn't want to waste a night staying at a hotel. Mom had recommended she try to sleep, but every time she tried, she could stop fidgeting.

But finally, the rhythm of the pattering rain made her begin to drift off. Although it was a slow process, the five emotions were excited.

Fear was happy, because no major disasters had happened yet. "And she's ou-"

Riley was suddenly awoken by a high-pitched scream. Her Dad was trying to swerve, but he wouldn't stop going back to the other side.

"What's going on!" She yelled. On instinct, she quickly grabbed the closest bar she could find. She didn't get an answer.

Looking up, she saw a car charging at them through the rear-view mirror. And no matter which way Dad turned, trying to shake them off, they kept following.

Finally, they found a quick turn. Dad took it, hard.

And this exposed her side to the driver. He thought they'd make it in time.

Riley was a happy person. But that didn't matter anymore.

For her last memory orb, lasting only a second before it faded like the others, was purple.


	2. Memories

**Chapter 2: Memories**

The only person hurt - other than minor injuries - was Riley. Her parents were frantic for help, even though they knew the truth in the back of their minds, the harsh reality that she was gone.

Riley's last thought was panic. She was killed before she even had time to suffer to much, the driver's car ripping off that half of the van, and her with it, somehow missing the two in front.

Their belongings were tossed across the street, but neither parents still cared as they rushed to find her in the mess, for maybe she was still alive. But it was a matter of precious time.

Neither felt the cool spring night, or the chirping of crickets. The only sound was their strong heartbeat, and the repeated mantra. _Must. Save. Riley._

Both Anderson's made brave efforts, but Riley had already died, and the only part of her that was still alive was in chaos.

The five emotions watched in terror as they watch the control panel fall apart, along with the rest of her mind.

"What's going on?" Fear grabbed on to Anger. He tried to shake him off for a second, but he just gripped tighter.

"We're dying!" Sadness fell onto the floor, crying.

Disgust dropped her make-up pallette. "What happens to us when we die?"

Fear began running around the room, screaming unintelligible sounds. Even Joy couldn't find something to be happy about.

Sadness hugged her, and the five watched the world they knew crumble for a second time.

They didn't know what would happen to them. Would they be trapped up here forever? Maybe that's where ghosts came from; a lost headquarters still active while the rest had died. Or maybe they'd fade away with their girl.

It felt like forever, but it was only a few minutes before they felt Headquarters begin to shake. "Argh!" Anger yelled.

Sadness began to cry again. Fear clung to Joy, asking if everything would be alright. Even Disgust, who didn't get scared by much, was panicking, her head tossing at any sound.

The room cracked, and sent the five tumbling down to the lost memories. Joy, having thankfully escaped the first time, didn't know how long it took for emotions to be forgotten, but she knew it would be shorter now.

As she hit the ground, She saw the others fade instantly. "No!" She screamed. Her heart pounded with fury. She scraped at the last memories, as they turned from their colors to grey, and faded into the distance.

She was left with nothing but Riley's core memories, each slowly fading away in turn. They would float out from her hands, or her side, and glow strong, before disappearing.

The last sounds in Riley's mind was the echo of a young girl learning to skate, a giggle, and the soft tears and hum of Joy.

She grasped at the final sphere, her last lifeline, the only other light source in the cavern, which seemed to go on forever in darkness.

 _How could this be?_ She asked herself. _How could it end so fast. Just five minutes ago, I still had my girl._

Her tears dropped onto the ground, smooth; not a single bump. And all the while, without opening her bright eyes, she felt the last sphere fade away.

It felt like forever, Joy was sitting there. She had nothing to do, nothing to play with. She was sad, but felt peace in the darkness.

She somehow knew, something would happen. She could feel her feet begin to numb, so she knew it wouldn't be long.

As she waited, she began to play with her hair, brushing it with her fingers. _It wasn't always this short._ She giggled.

 _Wait, what?_ It _had_ been that short for as long as she could remember. But still, she could feel, in her head, a time when it was longer.

And a memory of playing hockey. Not watching it from Riley's view, but playing it herself.

"Huh?" She would have stood up and paced, but didn't have anywhere to pace too, and she had already faded away to her knees.

But then, it came. All the memories. And as she faded, she reveled, remembering who she really was.

"Abigail." She whispered.


	3. Higher Headquarters

**Chapter 3: Higher Headquarters**

 _Local Hockey Legend Killed by Drunk Driver._ Riley caught a glimpse of the morning paper through a lake-like place, showing images from Earth.

She didn't know how long she had been sitting there, but she knew it had been a long time. Back home, her back would be sore from arching down that long, even as fit as she was.

When she first arrived, she was numb in spirit. Her first thought was _So this is what Heaven looks like._ She had expected what media normally portrayed Heaven as, or at least cartoonists. She imagined people with wings and loose-fitting robes walking around on clouds. But this place, the walls were lined with thousands of escalators or different colors, and just as many workers at computers. Many people were huddled around small windows like she was.

After that, she began to cry. She was in _heaven!_ Her heart broke at the fact she would never become a pro athlete, or write her autobiography. She was going to go down as a poster-child for anti-drinking movements. But most of all, she longed to be back with her family.

That had been a week ago. She had hardly moved from this spot, looking down on her distressed family. They seemed more worried than she was! She didn't need to use the bathroom, although she got up once to get a hot cocoa from a cart passing by.

"Everything okay?" She heard a low voice approach her, followed with muffled footsteps.

She sighed. "I'm still a bit… lonely." She felt a small tear try to come up, but she suppressed it.

"Well, maybe I could help." At that, a person sat next to her. It was a short man, hardly any taller than her, but still buff, and had big, round, eyes. He was wearing a white shirt with a red and turquoise tie.

"Who are you?" She asked this unfamiliar man.

He smiled, and giggled a bit. "You don't remember me?" His voice was somewhat raspy, but had a playful tone to it. "Well, I guess, I shouldn't really expect you to."

She rolled her eyes. She heard things like that all the time when her Mom saw an old friend at the supermarket. "Well, anyway, I _would_ like someone to talk to."

"Riley, I presume?" He asked, holding out his hand for a shake.

"Yeah?" She nodded. "And you?"

"Todd."

He patted her on the back. "Feeling bad?" She nodded. "I understand. When I ended up here, I felt so lost. The first thing I did was pound the first dude I saw, screaming for him to send me back down."

She smiled, even though her heart felt a bit heavy. "Yeah. But, I know they'll be fine down there, and I'll be fine…" she paused for a second, a small tear falling down. "...I'll be fine here in Heaven."

At that, Todd smiled. "You think this is Heaven?"

Riley paused. "Wait, what?"

He rolled his eyes. "Come on. Heaven doesn't look like an airport."

Staring down, she nodded. "Yeah, I guess. But where _are_ we, then?"

"Well, I don't know how to explain." He sighed. "But, do you know where your emotions come from?"

She shook her head, her soft hair flying everywhere. Wherever this place was, gravity seemed to be lighter. "I've always wondered."

Todd pushed himself up, and offered her a hand. "Let me show you around."

…

"So, this place is where they organize all the emotions?" Riley asked, while they waited for the creemees at the stand.

"You hadn't already figured that out?" He face-palmed. "Ugh. Why am I still angry all the time?"

Riley was confused. "What do you mean?"

He turned back to the girl. The one he had spent 12 years protecting, and all for nothing. The thought made him clench his fist, and he could still remember the flames coming out of his head. But he took a deep breath, determined to control his temper, now that he was a person again. "I was an Anger."

She gasped. "Really? Why aren't you any more?"

"You only have to be an emotion once before you get to go up."

 _Wow!_ She thought. _I know there was probably something different above, but, meeting emotions! Wow! And you get to be one!_

 _...Wait. Didn't he say you_ had _to be one._

"Does everyone get to be an emotion?"

"Yep." He nodded. "Don't worry, though. It's fun, even if you have to hang out with four other dorks."

"There are only five emotions?" She asked. He nodded. "Well, whose emotion are you?"

He smiled. "Yours."

Riley paused. "Wait, what?"

He handed her her ice cream cone, and took her other hand. "Come with me. I want you to meet the others."


	4. A Joyful Get-Together

**Chapter 4: A Joyful Get-Together**

Todd led Riley through the assorted stations, until her feet were tired and then some. After what felt like hours of walking, they finally arrived at a small nook, occupied by four people.

One of them had pale skin, and dirty blonde hair. She was tall, and actually looked almost like Riley. Besides her was a tall man, somewhat lanky and had a long nose. There were two girls besides them, about average height. One of them had thick glasses and a warm turtleneck, while the other had long lashes and a beautiful dress.

"Are these… the rest of my emotions?" Riley asked. She was still struggling to get the idea of her emotions being people through her head. They nodded enthusiastically.

There was a chilling silence in the air after that, before the tall girl ran up and hugged her. "I've wanted to hug you for so long!"

The girl in the dress rolled her eyes. "If you haven't guessed yet, she's your Joy."

Joy nodded. "It's so good to see you in person, even if it had to come to this so early."

The man shivered. "Let's hope nothing like that happens again."

"Yeah." Riley sighed. But she quickly smiled again. Even without her Joy working at the panel, she was a perky girl. "I just can't believe it! I'm meeting my emotions!"

Joy nodded. "And I'm so glad to have met you! I can't believe it either!"

The shorter girl waved. "Hi. I'm your Sadness."

"And I'm Fear." Said the taller guy.

"Disgust." Said the other time. "And I assume you've met Anger." He nodded.

Riley thought for a second. "Do you all have names other than what you are? I mean, Anger said he was Todd."

Joy smiled even wider. "That's the cool part. We actually forgot who we were when we were your emotions. But now that we're back here, we can remember. I'm Abigail, and I'm so excited to get to know you, and re-get to know my old friends."

Sadness approached them. "That's such a beautiful name. I'm Merilee."

"And I'm Jessica."

Riley smiled. "I've always loved that name."

Fear sighed. "I'm Merik, but, I've been a Fear so long, I've started calling myself that."

She was confused. "You've been a Fear for a long time?"

He nodded, and turned his head a bit to the left. "Most people, when they've done Emotion Duty, go straight up to heaven. But I just keep choosing to go back."

"Why?" Sadness asked him. "Don't you miss your family?"

He shrugged. "Yeah. I just enjoy being Fear."

The emotions began to get into conversation. About life, and all that fun stuff. And for the first time in a while, she was beginning to feel her heart lighten a bit. It felt nice to have friends, even if they were the voices in her head. She didn't feel quite so alone and isolated.

And it was good to have some answers to something, for once. She finally knew where emotions came from! And she would get to be one!

"Hey!" Anger but in. "I think we should be including Riley a bit more. I know we've all wanted to have a heart-to-heart with her."

They all nodded, and walked to the girl, who backed away from being overwhelmed.

"Do you think we could find somewhere better to talk?" She asked.

"Well, there's a nice hotel around here." Fear suggested. "It's free, the rooms are infinite, and you won't even be asked to move over a room to explain a theory." She didn't get it, but she just shrugged it off. The mention of a hotel, however, suddenly reminded her of how sleepy she was.

"Cool." She nodded with a yawn. "That sounds great."

 **Thanks for all of you who are reading! I know it's getting a bit slow, but I promise It'll be picking up steam soon. Please, feel free to comment. Not just compliments, but honest opinions. Just, I would appreciate if you didn't write it just to insult me. Constructive criticism is highly appreciated. Thanks!**


	5. Fear's Greatest Fear

**Chapter 5: Fear's Greatest Fear**

The last few days Riley had spent the night at the window pools. She went to bed at night, watching her parents cry with each other. She'd watch her Mom go into her room to tuck her in, and fall apart when she remembered why she wasn't there.

Here felt so much better, even if she couldn't get to sleep. It wasn't Anger's snoring that kept her up, or Sadness sobbing in her sleep. The sound of friends was strangely comforting.

What kept her awake was, well, she wasn't really sure. Maybe it was her nerves, from not having played Hockey in a couple weeks. She was also hungry. Sadness, a bit of a bookworm, had read up on the HIgher Headquarters, and apparently, while you wouldn't starve, you still felt hungry in limbo. But no, she just longed for her family.

They always told her she'd be waiting to reach them one day. And she was. But in the way they meant, they were waiting for her.

Eventually, insomnia had her leave the room, but not before leaving a note, in case one of them woke up and wondered where she was. Honestly, she didn't know.

She wandered through the dark hallways, which felt eerie and lonely, despite a couple people walking by. They waved, she waved back, but she doubted any friendliness manifested as she slouched by.

She didn't recognize anyone here. She was hoping that maybe a relative would pop up, but then she felt ashamed she was hoping they died.

Angels were setting up a hearty continental breakfast in the lobby, and the receptionists had their hands busy with new recipients. She had heard people die all the time.

The final room she had come across was the Pool. She pushed the heavy door to reveal the giant room.

With a room that size, you could probably fit half a waterpark in there. But the only thing other than water and sidelines was a single slide. There was a single group of six, tossing a ball around. Maybe someone was having fun with their emotions.

But turning to the side, she saw a single man, sitting, looking lost. With a closer look she recognized who it was. Fear.

She ran up to him. Well, more of a speed walk after the lifeguard blew the whistle at her.

He was sitting at the edge of the pool, his large feet brushing the surface. "Everything alright?" She asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, I guess. I was just thinking to myself."

Sitting down next to him, she shrugged. "Cool. 'bout what?"

At that, he just turned to her. Looking her in the eye, he began to sniff. "Why I'm still here."

"What do you mean?" She squinted.

He brushed the hair out of his face. "I've been a Fear for 900 years now."

Riley was surprised. She thought that people could only be an emotion once. But she shrugged it off and kept listening.

"You are my 51st." He said. "And…"

"What?" She asked.

He began sobbing. "They want people to go up to heaven once they're done. After fifty, they make your people die young!"

She gasped. "I died because of you?" She yelled. The others turned to them. She felt her face get warm. "Why did you… do that to me!"

She was outraged. She couldn't believe someone cut her off from her family for years, ended her life! She felt like she could explode. She wanted to walk away, and leave this jerk behind, but still. something kept her sitting there, despite the angry sweat rolling down her neck.

He was quiet for a while, but still Riley didn't calm down. But you can't blame her. Eventually her companion spoke. HIs voice was soft and shaky. "I'm afraid."

"Afraid of what!" She whisper-yelled. "What could you possibly be afraid of?"

"Everything! I'm a Fear!" And he began to sob. Riley, despite being mad, still patted him on the back as he continued. "But, I'm afraid to go to heaven, even though they already told me I'm good enough."

She was surprised. "Why would you be afraid to go to Heaven? It's definitely better than just hanging around Earth forever."

"I don't know." He made out between sobs. "It's just-I mean-I don't know what's up there. The unknown, it's just so terrifying."

Riley was furious, and yet, she understood completely. It never dawned on her ever since she learned this was not actually heaven, but she was a bit nervous. Heaven could still be totally different. Suppressing that fear, though, she stood up, her legs feeling weak.

"Look." She said. "You shouldn't hurt others just because you're nervous." She walked away without another word. She was just too frustrated to try to make him feel better.

Wandering back through the hallway, she found Joy walking around. "I'm so glad I found you!" She yelled.

"Shh!" Riley hushed her. "Didn't you get my letter?"

She nodded. "Yeah, but I still wanted to see you. I've always wanted to talk to you directly and-"

"Fine." She replied. "But I'm in a bad mood, so, please don't ask me anything personal."

Joy's face dropped as she said that. "Oh! Is there anything I can do for you? We could go get something to eat, or go to the pool, or-"

"I don't want to go to the pool." She replied, turning away from the excitable girl.

She gave her a hug. "Tell Abby what's wrong. Ehr, I mean, tell Joy."

Riley didn't want to think of her emotions, but she still let her know. She told Joy what she remembered from their conversation.

"I can't believe it!" She quietly exclaimed. "How could he do such a thing?"

"I know!" Riley sighed. "I'm just so frustrated. What do you think I should do?"

Joy squirmed a bit. "I don't think you'd like my answer."

"What?" She asked.

Joy sighed. "Well, if I were still in your Headquarters, I'd have you forgive him."

"What!" She said again, but this time out of surprise. "Why would I forgive something that big! I died young, and probably so will some other kid!"

She slouched. "I told you you wouldn't like it. But, it already happened. There's no time machine, so the best thing would be to move on."

"Maybe." Riley nodded. "I don't know, though."


	6. A Perfect Match

**Thank you all for reading and reviewing! I love reading your feedback, and although I don't reply, I assure you, every comment is read and taken to heart.**

 **Anyway, I'm sincerely sorry for how long it's taken for this chapter. I told myself I wouldn't become that author who posts stuff regularly then takes a few weeks off. I'm sorry, and I promise to try to post more often when I can.**

 **Also, I'm probably not going to continue In the Thin Atmosphere until it gets a few favorites or reviews, or I get REALLY bored one day.**

 **Chapter 6: A Perfect Match**

"Come one Riley! Come on!" Joy tugged on her favorite girl, almost sending them flying through the infinite room. "You don't want to make them wait!"

"I'm coming!" She yelled, running. The other four emotions ran behind her, with Fear clinging to the back. Even after a few weeks, their relationship still hadn't healed. Riley still felt her heart beat with anger when she heard him talk, even though he remained supportive.

Riley was excited, almost as much as Joy. Limbo was a nice place, but they think they finally found a person for her to emote.

After what only felt like a couple minutes, they ran into a tall woman, with wings protruding from her back.

"Riley, I presume?" She giggled. Her crooked name tag read _Hannah._

She nodded. "I've heard you found someone?"

The Angel smiled. "I think you'll love her."

"So she's a girl!" Joy said. "Like you!"

They began walking down a shady corridor, with glowing signs pointing to where to enter the world, and signs for the bathroom. "Yes." She said. "Winona is a very friendly girl, and is going to grow up to be a hockey star in the future. She'll be famous, and surrounded by a loving, whole family."

Riley nodded with excitement. She never told anyone, but one of her biggest fears was her parents divorcing, and having to choose between her friendly Mom and goofball Dad. But living a whole life with a whole family sounded like the best thing ever. Sure, she wouldn't remember who she was, but she knew that part of her, some inner thought, would remain.

After a while of walking, and Hannah describing the amazing girl's future, they finally arrived to a dark room, the only object being a desk and a glowing chute. "Welcome to my office." The young Angel said.

"Seems dark." Sadness muttered.

She gathered some papers off her desk. "Okay Riley, you just need to sign here, and you'll get a good 81 years with Winona Hadlows."

Riley took the paper. It was hard to make out in the dark, but no one ever read agreements anyway. She already felt a bond to this girl, even though she didn't know much about her. Her heart raced with excitement.

She was just about to sign her name when the sirens wailed, and the room was filled with red lights.

"What's that?" Fear shrieked, jumping. "What's going on?" The others also seemed a bit nervous.

Hannah was starting to hyperventilate. "Oh man, oh man. Riley, you don't want to know."

Turning to see her computer, Riley saw a picture of her Mom. But not the bright, cheerful person she remembered, but a depressed women, looking like she hadn't taken a bath in days. And under it, she saw a timer.

"What does that mean?" She asked.

Hannah sighed. "Riley, you Mom is asleep. She's going to wake up and…"

"What?" Anger yelled. "Tell us!"

"She's going to kill herself."


	7. A Message to Mom

**Chapter 7: A Message to Mom**

"What? No! That's impossible!" Riley yelled. "Why would she do that? Your computer's probably failed."

Sadness sniffed. "It's time for a big cry." And collapsed on to the floor in tears.

Hannah sighed. "You're in denial, Riley."

"No I'm not!" she was fuming. "Is there anything we can do?"

The angel rummaged through her desk. "There is one thing, but I don't think it's a good idea."

"I'll do anything." Riley said, holding back tears.

"You can visit her." Hannah replied. "In her dreams."

"How isn't that a good idea?" Joy asked. "That seems like a great solution!"

Looking at the crowd, she sighed. "Winona is going to be born in just thirty minutes. You wouldn't have enough time to go there and back."

"Isn't there something else we could do?" Disgust asked. Her eyes were wide, and Riley could see a small, dark streak down one of her cheeks.

"No." Hannah was looking at files on her computer about this. "Making contact with Riley seems like the only way to change her mind."

Riley just stood there, the reality of the situation becoming apparent. She had to choose between a perfect match, a life of fame and family, and her own. Her future and her past.

But this wasn't just her past. This was her. Her family was her life, a part of her. She grew from them. This was important.

"I'll do it." She whispered. "It's worth it."

Hannah looked back at her. "You sure?"

"I'm sure." She said.

The emotions looked on behind. Hannah swiftly typed on her keyboard, a speed no mortal could ever match. Riley's heart was racing like a jet, holding back her tears.

After what felt like a forever, Hannah whispered. "It's ready. Riley, just step in the tube, and I can send you down to your Mom's Dream Productions."

She nodded, her thoughts in space. She forced her numb legs to walk into the chamber, feeling all eyes on her.

"You _better_ do something about Winona." Anger stepped towards the Angel, despite her being at least a head or two taller.

"I'll delay her birth as long as I can." She nodded. "I'll try all the tricks I know. But I doubt it will work."

"Just try your best." Fear mumbled to her, wringing his hands.

Joy ran up to Riley just before she stepped in. "You try your best!" She yelled, while wrapping her in a hug. "I'd go with you, but only family and close friends are allowed to visit dreams."

She giggled a bit, which felt like a cool drizzle in the desert. "Thank you. Thanks."

As she stepped in the tube, Hannah typed a few more things on her keyboard, and all the emotions gathered around. All five waving, cheering her on, although she couldn't hear through the soundproof walls. But she felt it. The encouragement, and she almost felt better.

At last, Hannah pressed a large button, which lit up, a white trail coming from it. And the tube lit up from within.

* * *

Falling.

Riley felt like she had been falling forever. This must have been what Alice felt, when she tumbled down the rabbit hole.

But she didn't have a mission. A matter of life or death. And Riley felt strong. A determined girl, she knew she could do this.

But what if she couldn't? She pushed all her doubt to the back of her mind. She didn't have any time to doubt. Any time to worry. Any space to fail.

And finally, she blinked. And as she did, she landed in the dark.


	8. Treasured Visitor

**Chapter 8: Treasured Visitor**

Out of the darkness, emerged a small room. It looked like a movie set she had seen in blooper reels, except the people were small and blob-shaped, and almost all of the lights were off.

"Who are you?" Asked one of these strange people, wearing a blue dress.

Another one looked at her. "I think it's Riley!"

She was confused. "Riley, but she died! And how could she even get in here anyway?"

Riley smiled. "The angel sent me. And where can I talk to Mom?"

She thought. "Well, we weren't planning to make any dreams tonight; we were closing down the shop."

"Yeah." Said another. "If the rumors are true, none of us aren't going to be needed anymore." They all let off a soft sigh.

She shook her head. "No, no. I'm going to try to stop that."

"Really?" A small one ran up to her.

Riley nodded. "Yes! I just need you to help me get through to her!"

They looked to each other, and almost instantly started working. Pulling out the camera, special backgrounds, the whole nine yards.

"Good. Good." She took a few deep breath. "Just hurry, okay?" But by the time she finished her sentence, the place was already set up.

"We're ready!" Said the lady at the camera. "Just step onstage and we can film you."

Silently, she walked onto the concrete floor, the cold surface chilling her feet. She felt more nervous now than she ever had in her entire life; stage fright, but a million times worse.

She tried to speak, but her throat felt sore from her worry. Taking deep breaths didn't help, either. But she remembered a time…

Times of her Mom smiling. Playing. Her family, together. _Even if I'm gone, I can't let her leave that behind._ Thinking that, despite her worries, she felt a bit of confidence shine through.

Somebody handed her a microphone. She prepped herself, standing up tall, pushing her hair back. She waited a couple seconds, thinking of what to say, until she saw the blue-dress lady give her the thumbs-up.

Stepping forward, she began to speak, the words flowing from her mouth without to much thought. "Mom, I know you miss me, and you want to join me up in heaven, but you can't."

"I'm being taken care of. I've met five amazing people, who have been helping me. I'm having a great time up here, and I haven't even reach 'here' yet."

"An angel let me come, and I wanted to save you, even if it meant not getting my dream person. I know that sounds weird, but you'll learn when you do come up. But you can't come up now."

"I need you to know, I love you. Dad loves you too. And you love me. But I need you to stay down there, if not for yourself but for me. It's not yours or Dad's fault I died, and you can't blame yourself. And you need to stay there for Dad. How would he feel if he lost both his wife and daughter in just one month?"

"Mom, everything is fine. I'm fine. And you're fine." She started to see her fingers and feet fade away. "I love you."

When Riley stepped out of the tube, she was greeted by five friendly faces. They hugged her, and cheered.

"Way to go, Riley!" Disgust yelled.

Hannah smiled. "You did it. Your Mom isn't going to die for another thirty years."

She felt elated. Her wide smile left her cheeks a bit sore, but she still felt like smiling. "I don't even care if I don't get to be with Winona."

The bright mood dimmed a bit. "About that…" Hannah trailed off.

Sadness stepped up to Riley. "I'll tell her." She nodded to the others. "Riley, Hannah tried as hard as she could to delay the birth, but she couldn't do much. And since there wouldn't be anyone else that could get here in time, Joy had to go."

She looked around the room, but the cheerful emotion wasn't in sight. "Aww." She felt her smile slip away.

"Don't worry." Hannah said. "Your friend was very happy to go, and I'll find someone else for you as quick as possible."

"Okay." She nodded.


	9. The Lunch Court

**Chapter 9: The Lunch Court**

Riley expected 'as quick as possible' to mean 'a couple of days.'

Not four months.

Over that time, the emotions gradually left. At first Anger got mad that it was taking so long, because it normally only took a few days. Riley didn't want to see him upset, so she told him he could go up. He was a bit ashamed, but he still left, with the promise she'd visit him in the future.

A similar story with Sadness, except she got really lonely. Fear eventually just wandered off.

But not Disgust. She stayed with her the whole time.

It wasn't that the others weren't loyal, they were! But, Joy was the one who kept the group together. And Disgust really enjoyed spending time with Riley.

She talked about her time as Riley's emotion, but also her time on earth. She reached 16 before she had died, in a very similar event of what happened to Riley.

Riley kept transitioning between calling her Disgust and Jessica, because she seemed both like an emotion and a friend.

"What did the emotions look like?" Riley asked her.

She rolled her eyes. "I was green, and looked like a piece of broccoli. Can you believe that?" The two giggled. They'd have conversations like that, and she loved to listen to Jessie's 90s childhood. She wasn't what she expected, though. It was like when elders telling you their childhood adventures, instead of someone bragging about how much better theirs was.

One day, after going ice skating (Disgust prefered roller-skating herself, but she didn't mind.) they found themselves eating at the "mall's" food in the food court, having a conversation.

Riley had asked Jessie a lot about her past, but she never inquired on what happened to the others, so she asked her this.

The girl put down her french fries, and thought on that. "Well, we didn't remember the past when we were in headquarters, but when I was meeting up with them, Joy told me she was a college student working on scientific ways to make people happier. Sadness said something about being a teacher, I think. Todd worked as a miner. I can not imagine working in such dirty conditions."

"Cool." Riley nodded. "But what about Fear?" His name didn't bring back the usual stress. She was still mad at him, but only a soft burn that was barely felt.

"I think he said he was a medieval blacksmith. All those sparks flying everywhere, how did he do it? He ran at everything." She giggled to herself a bit. "I guess it changed us all a bit, didn't it. I never really was too extremely a 'Disgust' person, yet I was…" She trailed off, wiping the french fry grease off her hands.

Riley sat thinking there for a second. How strange was it that emotions were people? It seemed obvious to her now, but just a year ago she would have told anyone who said that they were wrong.

They both smiled. "I'm so glad I got to be _your_ emotion, even if I was a more negative one."

Riley shook her head. "You we're important! You kept me from getting poisoned! I probably would have died years ago, even if I would have eaten more veggies." They both smiled again. When Jessie smiled, her rosey cheeks almost glew with happiness and high-quality blush.

Riley was happy. She had a friend, and she really didn't need to worry about the future anymore. She hoped this could last as long as possi-

"Riley Andersen to Hannah's Office for Emotion Duty. Repeat, Riley Andersen to Hannah's Office."

 **Yeah, I know that one was a bit boring, and I'm sorry. I just wanted to give a peak into the emotions, even if it was small. I'll try to upload more soon.**


	10. Chance Encounter and Falling

**Chapters 10 and 11:** _ **Chance Encounter**_ **and** _ **Falling**_

… **Wait, two chapters? Yeah, I put these together because they were both kind of short. I hope you don't mind.**

The two girls excitedly ran towards Hannah's office. They both knew the route, since they'd love to hang out there, even if she was busy. They ran without delay, well, except for one.

Riley accidentally got some hair in front of her face, and ran into somebody. By the loud shriek, she knew who it was.

"Fear?" She exclaimed. Pushing her soft hair away, she saw the lanky man. "Where have you been?"

He shrunk back a little. "Not really any of your business, but I was trying to talk to an Angel to go down again."

"What!" She was about to scream. "Why can't you just go up to Heaven already! Stop making kids die just because you're afraid!"

Disgust, while wanting to stay out of the conflict, nodded. "Look, I admit, she has a point."

He sighed. "I know, I know! I'm a dunce." A couple of tears leaked out of his big eyes. "I've tried to muster up enough courage, but no matter how much I try, I can't!"

"Try harder!" Riley yelled; her cheeks felt warm.

He stifled. "Riley, I had a choice between who I could emote. I chose you because you were going to die in that accident anyway!"

"What?" She froze.

Disgust sighed. "He told me you left before he could explain."

"I'm only going to people who were going to die young. But I still feel like a piece of crud."

Like with her anger at life for making her leave, her frustration with Fear faded that instant, and she didn't know what to say. Instead, she cried.

The two hugged her. "No, no. Don't cry." Someone said.

Fear sighed. "I think you need to go, don't you."

She nodded. "Yeah." She was excited to see who it would be this time, and to finally continue with her journey. Not really a journey, but life, in all it's forms, is a journey.

He smiled, one of the first times in a while. "Riley, and I want to let you know, I'll try my best."

"To do what?"

"To keep this one safe as long as I can."

…

The three girls (Riley, Jessie, and Hannah) walked down the hallway. "This girl's name is Mekuna. She's from Hawaii."

"Cool." Riley nodded.

Hannah continued. "I'm sorry it took so long. It's just hard to find a match other than who that person is chosen to be. And she isn't going to ice-skate until she's 16, but she's going to rollerblade a lot."

"Cool." Jessie nodded.

Riley followed the steps, and eventually… she was ready.

"Now, you're not going to remember anything when you get there, and what emotion you are isn't chosen based on who you are, so I can't tell you that." Hannah said, about to close the door on the tube. "But I know whichever one you are, you'll be awesome."

"I bet she'll be a Joy." Disgust giggled. "You always were a little ball of Joy."

Riley smiled. She wished her companions a heartfelt farewell, before once again standing in the echoed quiet tube.

A fuzzy yellow light emerged from the chords, and the tube was engulfed in a calming glow.

Her fingers and toes felt tingly, her hair flying around her head. The floor gave way, like one of those steep waterslides. But she wasn't scared, she didn't fall too fast. It was almost like she was flying.

She felt happy, and calm. Riley was at peace.

… Who was Riley?

…Who was she?

She was confused, her calm suddenly disappearing. She had forgotten everything, and she was falling from the sky. To her, the only thing she had ever felt was falling, yet she somehow knew stuff. Words, meanings, instincts.

Her eyes closed, without them even trying. She felt her flowing hair begin to fade away into a shorter cut, and she felt like she was glowing. That sounds weird, but it was like an empowering feel, just physical.

Her feet hit the ground, and she made a soft landing. She was surrounded by darkness, except for a blue glow around her skin.

At that, she laid down on the ground. She needed a nap.


	11. Tearful Eyes, Joyful Skies

**I'm sorry. I'll admit, I've rushed this story a lot. At first, I felt bad I hadn't worked on it or posted anything new in a while, and then, I came up with a new idea, which is in my favorite genre: Humor! But thanks to all of you who have followed, favorited, reviewed or even just read my story. It means so much to me that so many people like it and say it's good.**

 **Chapter 12: Teary Eyes, Joyful Skies**

The room was dark, the only light coming from a series of gears and racks. Some light came from the huge screen she faced, but it was inconsistent, constantly blinking on and off. Although she could occasionally make out faces, of two beautiful adults looking down on her, it was hard as it quickly blacked out for a couple seconds.

Turning her head around the room, she saw another person. Unlike her, she didn't glow. This lady was short and chubby, with shiny slick hair, and thick glasses. Joy was taller, with short hair and a blue aura. This lady herself was blue.

"No, no. Don't cry." The lady said to the screen. She was jamming down on a big button, trying to make something happen, although her efforts only seemed to make everything worse. "Why does this have to be so hard?" The button glew blue each time, followed with small clunks as a blue orb rolled down the racks. Joy knew she could do something, though.

She didn't know how, but she knew some things. She knew her name was Joy, and her girl was named Mekuna. And Mekuna was upset.

Joy ran over to the button. "May I try?" She asked the short lady.

She looked up, being only half Joy's height. "Sure. I don't seemed to be able to do anything helpful."

The lady stepped out of the way, giving Joy access to the control. She slammed her thin hands onto the button, which began to glow bright yellow. She giggled at the color. She pressed it some more, and Mekuna began to giggle. She could hear her parents sigh with relief. Eventually, some more of those spheres came down, but these were yellow.

"I'm Sadness." Said the blue lady, which seemed like a fitting name.

Joy shook her hand. "I'm Joy. Nice to meet you!"

"Yeah, yeah." Sadness sighed. "I can't wait for Mekuna to go to bed. I'm so tired."

Joy didn't feel like she needed a wink of sleep. Her mouth was a bit sore from smiling, but other than that, was happy. "Well, I bet she'll go to sleep soon. You know how babies are." She giggled a bit, but Sadness just sighed.

Standing post, Joy kept pressing the button. She loved hearing her girl laugh. It was the most beautiful sound she ever heard.

"Can I have it again?" Sadness asked. She stretched her stubby arm and tapped the button, making Mekuna tear up again.

She wanted to block her off, since she didn't want Mekuna to be upset, but Sadness was here first, so she assumed she could take care of things. Besides, she had exploring to do!

"I guess." Joy stepped away from the controls. "Just make sure to call me if things get out of hand."

"Sure thing." She nodded, mumbling.

Joy began running around the room, looking for a hidden door or something. The only thing she found was a set of books. _I'll read them later._

Still, she found herself fingering through one, looking if there was anything else she could do.

The manual stated that the headquarters would grow as she aged. But for now she had to wait. "Aww." She sighed. But she smiled when she realised at least she had company to talk to.

Running back up to Sadness she asked her "So, what do you want to do?"

"Sleep." She stated, not even looking back.

"Well, after that?"

Sadness thought. "Maybe read or something, I don't know."

 _This is going to be harder than I thought._


	12. Ice-Skating Lessons

Chapter 13: Ice-Skating Lessons

"Okay, okay. Let's take this easy." Fear pushed a button, causing Meckie to brace herself on the ice.

Joy rolled her eyes. "Come on. We'll be fine. How much different can this be from rollerblading?"

She thought. "Well, it's harder to stop, more friction, etc."

"I hope we don't fall." Disgust said. "I don't want her to be covered with icky cuts and bruises."

"This is so tiring." Sadness sighed. Anger was unusually quiet, consumed by her favorite newspaper's new article.

Meckie had some control, but this was still way harder. Her feet and back were sore. She found herself sailing, without a way to easily stop. "You can do it!" Yelled her new friend.

The instructor slid over to her. "You've got this." As she stabilized her.

"I never saw any rinks like this back in Hawaii." She stated. Sadness brought back a memory from her old home. But she was still happy here, maybe from Joy trying to get control.

"Don't worry, you're still way better than me at this." Her friend said, and if to confirm her point, she stumbled and fell. Luckily, she was good at getting back up.

"You're both learning." The instructor nodded. "And doing a great job." She was a tall lady, for her age. Her brown hair was chock-full with greys, and her face had some wrinkles. Yet both girls felt like she was a friend to them.

"Why do you do this?" Meckie asked her. "Why do you volunteer here all the time?"

She sighed. "My daughter."

"You have a daughter?" The other girl asked. She skated over in curiosity.

"Yes. Her name was Riley, and playing hockey was one of her favorite things."

"What happened to her?" She asked.

The instructor grabbed herself, an attempt at a hug. "She wask- killed by a drunk driver." She muttered some soft words to herself.

The room suddenly filled cold, even more than what the ice contributed. "Wow, that's sad." Sadness pushed the hug lever on the controls.

Meckie skated over to the lonely senior, and wrapped her in a hug. "It's okay."

She smiled. "I know. I know she's up there, and she'll be fine. She was always such a great little girl."

"If it makes you feel better," said the other girl, flying past, "I'll never drink and drive."

"Thanks." She laughed. "You know, if she had reached 16, I think she'd be a lot like you, Winona."

"Really? Cool!" She cheered, which caused her to fall over. "That's awesome, Mrs. Andersen!"

She giggled. "Just call me Jill, if you want."

Sadness normally took control, making Meckie seem like a sad girl. But in her head was a vibrant girl. And that girl looked on at Jill, thinking I think I'm gonna like you.

The End

OMG it's finally done! This was such a fun project to write! Anyone have any ideas?


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